Local and mayoral elections are cancelled over coronavirus

The elections, which were to decide the next mayor of London among other posts, will now be held in 2021

CANCELLED: This year's local and mayoral elections will now take place in May 2021

THIS YEAR’S local and mayoral elections in England will be postponed for a year to May 2021 as a result of coronavirus outbreak.

The government took the decision to cancel the elections following a recommendation from the Electoral Commission.

Downing Street said it would be impractical to hold the elections as planned, given that they were to be held during the predicted peak of the virus.

The Electoral Commission had recommended postponing the elections until the autumn, “due to growing risks to the delivery of the polls and to mitigate the impact on voters”.

However the government took the decision to move the elections to 2021.

The contest were due to be held on May 7 for 118 councils in England along with eight posts for directly elected mayors, including for the mayor of London.

The Cabinet Office said it would bring forward legislation to enact the delay in England, and would work to ensure the Welsh authorities could take similar action.

The last time elections were delayed was in 2001, during the foot and mouth outbreak.

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